North Korean Nuclear Disarmament is a Must

A new path must be forged in guiding North Korea towards complete disarmament. I hope Special Envoy Bosworth and his U.S. delegation have this determination as they arrive at Pyongyang today.

Since the inauguration of the Obama administration, this is the first time the U.S and North Korea have had a direct meeting. The world is watching how the president, who advocated a world without nuclear weapons and is to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on the tenth of the month, will deal with North Korea’s nuclear development. Even though getting immediate results from a country as stubborn as North Korea will be difficult, the goal is to conclusively remove the continued presence of the eccentric dictatorship’s nuclear threat. Japan and South Korea share this goal, and with commitment it can be reached. I expect a tenacious, persistent effort. This U.S.-North Korea summit is the starting point.

Still, the prospect of achieving a resolution doesn’t seem to be in sight. Since the U.S. under the Clinton administration in 1993 began negotiations with North Korea, the situation has gotten worse. After North Korea’s nuclear test, the Bush administration, which had at first taken on an unyielding posture, easily gave in to compromise, and thus failed. The Obama administration has until now reliably used both a flexible stance and sanctions together, but with Afghanistan and the economic crisis at a higher priority, it seems unable to fully focus on North Korea and its nuclear program.

Under this reality, the prospect of America forcing North Korea to completely abandon nuclear weapons seems impossible. According to their official statements, preventing proliferation to terrorist groups and dangerous countries is good enough. This means that if a small amount of nuclear weapons and materials remained in North Korean hands, it “can’t be helped.” But if this current state of affairs continues into the foreseeable future, it would be unacceptable to Japan. The goal must be a complete abandonment of nuclear weapons.

It looks like Mr. Bosworth will explain to the North Korean side that if it participates in the six-party talks and progress is made towards nuclear disarmament, normalization of U.S.-North Korean relations and economic assistance are possible. However, it is clear that North Korea will persist in its selfish demands. It’s highly possible that more meetings will be required between the U.S. and North Korea. To get through this rough spot and allow negotiations to reach the six-party talks, both the U.S. and China have significant roles to play.

China has cooperated in the UN decision to impose sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear tests. However, in October, Premier Wen Jiabao took the opportunity during his North Korean visit to increase aid, mutual defense and send a delegation from the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress to North Korea. China is trying to appeal for North Korea’s friendly cooperation.

This is what you can call “Chinese diplomacy.” Yet as both the leading country of the six-party talks and the lifeline of North Korea, it holds great influence and has a great responsibility. When North Korea falls into a negotiation impasse, it will give many concessions of its own accord. The U.S. and China should be able to cooperate and create a favorable situation.